Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-10-13
A THRILLING SPEECH.
senator Allison Opens tho Campaign at
West Union.
A Mastery Discussion OF State and Ma
ionai Issues-.Ex,raets From sens-
tor Aiiison's Great speech.

porary obligations have been reduced
more than $500, O00 and the State Treas.
urer estimates that by July OF next year
there will not be outstanding single
dollar OF intcrest.beMing warrants; that
our annual expenses for the last two
years, including many extraordinary OK.
pcnses for new buildings and the neces.
sary enlargement OF existing buildings,
amount to about 81. zoo. 900. which are
less than one.half Of the expenditures OF
each OF the States surrounding Us, except
Wisconsin; and our annual expenditures
IRE $500. 900 less than those OF that State.
We have u less tax levy than any Of them
upon property assessed at less than one-
third OF Its real value, especially so, when
II IL well known that all our humane In,
situations are kept up to the highest condl
ton Of usefulness and efficiency, and com.
pare fayorably with those OF any State Ia
the Union.
Mr., Allison then at considerable lcngth
discussed the question of railway trans.
portatlon In our State, and called attcn,
ton TO the fact that both platforms do.
mand additional legislation upon this sub
ject He showed that our largest interest
Is agriculture. aud that the chief products
transported by railways consist OF the
products OF the farm aud products that
are used on the farm: aud that the pro.
ducts sold find their chief market In our
seaboard cities, and most Of them are
transported beyond tho sea, requiring
long lines OF transportation by rail, so
that we are interested In securing the low.
est possible rates for these products. He
estimated that 40 per cent OF all freight
earnings In this State are Of farm pro.
ducts, and that three .fourhs OF these
farm products consist OF what Ia known
as through freight, or freight destined
for points outside OF Iowa, aud therefore
controlled by the Interstate Commerce
law; and that they cannot be reached by
any law that can DO passed by the legis.
lature. He estimated that about 10 per
cent OF all the freight earnings In this
State Is interstate commerce.--that Ii,
commerce originating In the State and
destined for points beyond the State, or
originating outside OF the State for points
in the state, or passing through the
Stato, and therefore beyond the control
OF the Legislature That passenger earn.
ings do not exceed 20 per cent OF the
total earnings; and that 40 per cent Of
these passenger earnings are either from
through passengers starting In the State,
going out OF IL, or passing through the
State without stopping In It. So tho
chief efforts OF our people should DO di.
rccted to nm cndeavor 10 reduce as far as
possible. from timo to time, the cost OF
freight transportation. rs that constitutes
our chief interest II Is the car load price
Of cereals, cattle. hogs, lumber and farm
machinery that most alfccts'the farmer Of
to-day. He then called attention to the
fact thnt under our complex system OF
government, In order TO effectively con-
| troll transportation II Is necessary that
our State and National laws should be,
AZ far as possible, In harmony and sup.
| plement each other; and that State and
| interstate commerce are so mingled and
blended that Il Is dilllcult sometimes to
distinguish between them--many Of our
products being first gathered under State
laws and afterwards subjected TO tho
| Jurisdiction OF interstate laws In their
transportation.
lie then discussed ut some length tho
| Interstate Commerce law passed last
winter. lie stated that 1t was intended
to remedy all the evils complained OF
with reference 10 interstate transporta-
ton, and that II made very unjust dis.
elimination unlawful; that the principles
| Of the Reagan bill 80 long and so highly
extolled were embodied In the law; and
full penalties were provided for the en-
forccment OF the law. That any man ag-
grieved had under this law choice OF
Two remedies He could either appeal to
the commission for redress, or. II he
chose TO do So could appeal directly TO
the courts without tho Intervention OF a
commission. That the commission fca.
lure was embodied In the law In order to
secure n cheap, effective and speedy
remedy, 70 that person aggrieved would
not be subjected TO the long and tedious
| delays and expense necessary In conduct
ing litigation in the courts. That thus
far, most OF the aggrieved resortcd to the
commission for redress. lie said II will
not do for the Democrats to complain OF
the conduct OF the commission, as ma
4 lority OF the commission was composed
81 Democrats, and that oil OF the Com
missioners were the choice and selection
d a Democratic President; and II they
were not with fidelity discharging their
duties, It was the duty Of the President
| 70 remove them and substitute for them
men who would faithfully execute the
/ Jaw. He then argued that our State laws
should be revised, and should be brought
in harmony, 80 far as possible, with the
Interstate law
After discussing at some length the
condition OF the National Treasury and
the surplus in the same. he said: II must
DC borne In mind that tax laws can only
originate In the House OF Representatives
and that the Senate has no power under
the consttion until the House acts; SO
that the whole responsibility Of this fail
are TO reduce taxes rests upon the House
,f Representatives or did so rest until the
lth of March. 1887 From that time until
now, the President shares this responsible
ty because Il was his duty the last House
having failed. TO Immediately assemble
congress in extra session for the purpose
Of reducing taxes to relieve the people
! from the excessive burdens OF taxation.
This the President did not do; and by his
aon.action, nine months OF the present
Congress had passed away without OPP
portunity being given for the considers
lion of this question. lie then said thai
4 the difficulty In the way has been that thu
Democratic party, as constituted in III
majority, in It's influences and in control
Is in favor OF the principle Of free trade
or a tariff for revenue only" Tha
majority insists that no revision OF the
tariff shall take place except upon this
principle, and because OF this inslstencc
the House during the last Congress failed
10 act. The body Of the people OF thii
country including minority of the Dem
ocratic purity itself, favurs such revision
OF our tariff laws as will secure to oul
own laborers fair wages and an oppor
tunity Of competing successfully with thu
cheaper paid labor OF Europe; and they
believe, as do the Republican party, that
1t is our duty to leglsatc in the interest
Of our own producers and laborers rather
than the producers and laborers OF othel
countries. Yet the power that controlled
the House Of Representatives was no
willing that revision should be mad
upon these we'll settled convictions of thu
American people. He said that this win
. ter the same contest will open up again
and the necessities Of the situation arr
! likely to be such that the tariff for rev
/, enue only" reformers will be obliged Z
yield 10 that public opinion which, Will,